A collage of literary snapshots from the life of a large traditional Catholic family

Oh my goodness…the Holy Season of Advent is just around the corner – the first Sunday of Advent is November 30th! Rather that re-writing a post, I thought I’d share a few of our family’s traditions from last year’s reflections. We’re excited that season is nearly upon us, and most anxious to begin our preparations.

Don’t forget to start the season off with a Novena! Starting November 30th, with the Feast of St. Andrew, the following prayer is to be recited 15 times per day, ending on Christmas Eve:

Hail, and blessed be the hour and moment at which the Son of God was born of a most pure Virgin at a stable at midnight in Bethlehem in the piercing cold. At that hour vouchsafe, I beseech Thee, to hear my prayers and grant my desires. (Mention your intentions here) Through Jesus Christ and His most Blessed Mother.

A crisp 39 degree morning, a plate full of apple spice muffins, a cup of coffee and Christmas In Italy. Ah, the sweet anticipation of Advent and the many feasts we will celebrate!

Our family’s approach to the season has undergone many changes, over the last two decades. The first few years were spent caught up in the manic-frenzied-howmanyshoppingdaysareleftuntilChristmas-insanity that starts sometime after All Hallow’s Eve and ends with the big “Day After Christmas Sale, Don’t Miss It!”

The Christmas tree was up no later than November 10th, the Christmas cards sent the day after Thanksgiving, the presents wrapped-under-the-tree-collecting-dust for no less than three weeks prior to Christmas Day. The Advent wreath was frequently neglected.

Shop, shop, shop. Bake, bake, bake. Wrap, wrap, wrap.

Pray, pray, pray? Only that everything would be finished on time!

Oh, how much has changed! For more than a decade, we have been observing a “season” that is a bit different than the one we had celebrated in the past.

December 1st: We continue a lovely tradition which we incorporated and altered a bit from A Year With God. Each child and adult will draw a slip of paper from a jar. On each slip of paper is a name: St. Joseph, the Blessed Virgin, the Angel, the Shepherd, the Ox, the Donkey, etc. During the entire month of December, each person tries to emulate the virtues of the particular “Nativity figure” whose slip was drawn from the jar. A nightly accounting is made, with particular focus on sacrifices offered. The sacrifices are written on a 6 inch long slip of paper, which will be glued (end to end) and incorporated into a chain. Every year, we try to make the chain longer than the prior year. We have also used these slips and sometimes pieces of straw, to create a “soft bed for the Baby Jesus” by placing them in a doll’s cradle at the base of the Christmas tree…

December 2nd:The First Sunday of Advent, our family collects beautiful greenery to adorn our Advent wreath and the mantle. The Nativity set that belongs to our oldest son, Arthur, is always placed on the mantle. There are several Nativity sets, as each child has received their own as a gift from Grandma Martha. The various figures are placed in different locations around the room, as they will “journey” closer and closer to Bethlehem. The Advent Wreath is always placed in the front window of our home. Every evening, the entire family gathers around the wreath. Dad reads an appropriate Scripture or Psalm. The room is darkened. The candle(s) are lit according to the week and then everyone sings “O Come, O come, Emmanuel.” The wreath is then carried back to the window, lit, and the family sits in darkness for a couple of minutes before extinguishing the lit wreath.

December 5th & 6th: Set out your shoes this evening! St. Nicholas is coming! We read the traditional stories about St. Nicholas and Black Peter. After the Advent Wreath ceremony, we all set our shoes on the hearth. What will St. Nicholas leave this year?

December 13th: Ah, the Feast Of St. Lucy! Before sunrise, mommy awakens Charlotte and Emily. In their white gowns with red belts, they will don their evergreen crowns (we will be using these this year) and serve the entire familythese.

New!!Adorable St. Lucia paper dolls…what fun!
December 8th: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. Candies shaped like roses and a lovely tea in the afternoon. The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the evening. Sweet!
The Christmas Tree: We will start looking for a fresh one, sometime in the middle of December, but will not set it up until 3 or 4 days before Christmas. We never turn on the lights of the tree at night, until we have lit the Advent Wreath, first. The tree will be left up, along with the Nativity sets until the day after Epiphany. After all…that’s when the “season” ends!
The Christ-Mass: The Traditional Latin Mass at Midnight! Alleluia! Christ our Savior is born! Alleluia!
Christmas Day: Where did all those presents come from?! And the stockings are full?! It must have been the Christ Child and the Angels! We just can’t wait to open them after Mass! A joyful feast in the afternoon…and the “season” continues!

December 26th: The Feast Of Stephen. Our Proto-Martyr.
December 28th: The Feast Of the Holy Innocents. Arthur’s birthday. We remember all the “holy innocents” on this day, particularly the littlest victims of abortion.

And that’s just the month of December! January 1st marks the great Solemnity of Mary, Mother Of God. We continue with Epiphany, on January 6th. The Wise Men take their place before the Holy Infant. We sing “We Three Kings” and thank God for the greatest gift of the Christmas Season. We end our Christmas celebration the following Sunday as we commemorate the Baptism of Our Lord.

As for shopping…

We really don’t shop much, until the week before Christmas. We don’t wrap presents until a couple of days before. Usually the same day that we set up the tree. These changes have changed us…we approach the entire season with the peace and joy that I believe our Lord intended us to have. Things don’t always go perfectly. There are the inevitable evenings that someone is sick, or dad is late. But the “mania” is gone.
Christ-Mass is back. Deo Gratias!

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Kimberly

I am a traditional Catholic homeschooling mother of 9 children, married for 34 years to the most patient and sainted man. As converts to Catholicism in 1991, our family has only recently discovered the beauty and full expression of our beliefs in the beautiful Tridentine Rite also commonly referred to as the Latin Mass. An avid knitter, I also enjoy gardening, reading and immersing myself in the everyday graces of my vocation.

Free Traditional Catholic Planner: Embracing Tradition

My Mother…And Yours!

The most holy Virgin had more faith than all men and angels. She saw her Son in the crib of Bethlehem, and believed Him the Creator of the world. She saw Him fly from Herod, and yet believed Him the King of kings. She saw Him born, and believed Him eternal. She saw Him poor and in need of food, and believed Him the Lord of the universe. She saw Him lying on straw, and believed Him omnipotent. She observed that He did not speak, and she believed Him infinite wisdom. She heard Him weep, and believed Him the joy of Paradise. In fine, she saw Him in death, despised and crucified, and, although faith wavered in others, Mary remained firm in the belief that He was God.

Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one’s youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them! He shall not be put to shame when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.
Psalms 127:3-5

St. Thomas Aquinas – Patron of Sacred Heart Academy – Pray For Us!

A Student's Prayer
Creator of all things,
true source of light and wisdom,
origin of all being,
graciously let a ray of your light penetrate
the darkness of my understanding.
Take from me the double darkness
in which I have been born,
an obscurity of sin and ignorance.
Give me a keen understanding,
a retentive memory, and
the ability to grasp things
correctly and fundamentally.
Grant me the talent
of being exact in my explanations
and the ability to express myself
with thoroughness and charm.
Point out the beginning,
direct the progress,
and help in the completion.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen. ---St. Thomas Aquinas

Litany Of Humility

O Jesus! meek and humble of heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,
Deliver me, Jesus.

From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

That others may be loved more than I,
Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should…

Our Homeschool Bookshelf

The Latin-Centered Curriculum
Climbing Parnassus
Prima Latina
Latina Christiana II
Lingua Angelica(br>
Famous Men Of Rome
Famous Men Of Greece
D'Aulaire's Greek Myths
The Children's Homer
Story Of The World I
Artner Reader's Guide to American History
Exploring Creation With Biology
Exploring Creation With Botany
Along The Alphabet Path
The Flower Fairy Series
An Alphabet Of Catholic Saints
Spencerian Penmanship
Spelling Power
Jensen's Grammar
Format Writing
Christ The King Lord Of History
Traditional Logic
Classical Kids
Schuster Bible History
The Story of the Church
Baltimore Catechism
Writing Can Help
Our Father and Mother on Earth and in Heaven
American Cardinal Readers
TYCTR in 100 Easy Lessons
Saxon and MCP Math
Language of God
MCP Phonics
Square Notes - Gregorian Chant Workbook
Alfred's Basic Piano